Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Gelechiids (Gelechiidae) (Part 2: Crests - subfamilies Dichomeridinae and Apatetrinae)

GELECHIIDS (GELECHIIDAE)


Subfamily DICHOMERIDINAE


Juniper Webber Dichomeris marginella - None.  This marvellous species is sadly lacking from my garden list, in fact the only one I've ever seen was in my old Bawdeswell garden back in 2011.  Time for another methinks...


Lichen Crest Dichomeris alacella - One at the meadows on 7th August 2020.  My only previous record of this species was in the garden in 2016.  This formerly rare species seems to be increasing so hopefully it won't be long before another turns up here.

Lichen Crest Dichomeris alacella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th August 2020

Ash-coloured Crest Acompsia cinerella - 3 between 5th and 12th July 2019 and 4 between 1st July and 1st Augsut 2020, average years for this species that I record here annually.  When I started seeing these they were considered to be quite rare with some records suspected of being mistaken for Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens and requiring dissection to confirm.  Well I guess a worn dull rufescens could just about look something vaguely close to these, but it seems a bit of a stretch to me.  I find cinerella to be quite distinctive (if in a dull sort of way) and I'm glad I'm not required to chop them up to prove the records any more.

Ash-coloured Crest Acompsia cinerella, North Elmham, 5th July 2019

Ash-coloured Crest Acompsia cinerella, North Elmham, 1st July 2020

Gorse Crest Brachmia blandella - Recorded here on 27 nights between 24th June and 1st August.  I can't give you a total as I didn't count them on a couple of nights but at least 71.  In the previous 4 years I've seen between 17 and 24 so this represents a very good performance.  2020 was similarly good with 61 on 30 nights between 16th June and 10th August.  Elsewhere 3 at Weybourne and one in Hellesdon in 2019.

Gorse Crest Brachmia blandella, North Elmham, 22nd June 2020

Fen Crest Brachmia inornatella - None.  I had 3 here in 2017-2018 but none before.


Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens - A total of 17 in the garden between 6th July and 6th August 2019.  Also one next door on 8th August and 2 at the meadows.  In the previous 4 years I've recorded between 19 and 31 here so this was my worst year for this species since moving to North Elmham.  2020 was below average too, with 22 between 16th July and 8th August.

Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th August 2019

Subfamily APATETRINAE


Flame Crest Chrysoesthia drurella - One netted in flight at the bottom of the track at the meadows on 15th June 2019 (daytime).  An entirely new moth for me and what a little beauty!

Flame Crest Chrysoesthia drurella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June 2019

Six-spot Crest Chrysoesthia sexguttella - None.  I've never seen this species and it's never been recorded near here.  There are records scattered around elsewhere in Norfolk so I imagine it might turn up locally one day.



Subfamily THEOTRICINAE


Eyelet Sober Thiotricha subocellea - None.  I've recorded this species a couple of times but have yet to find it in my garden or very locally.


Next page: more Gelechiidae

Hornet Moth

I put the Hornet pheromone lure out on 30th June and caught 2 Hornet Moths and a new hoverfly for me, Eupeodes luniger.

Hornet Moth, North Elmham, 30th June

Eupeodes luniger, North Elmham, 30th June

Gorse Crest Brachmia blandella, Least Carpet, Dot Moth, Double Lobed, the caddisfly Leptocerus tineiformis and the beetle Lagria hirta were all new for the year that night.

Gorse Crest Brachmia blandella, North Elmham, 30th June

Least Carpet, North Elmham, 30th June

Dot Moth, North Elmham, 30th June

Double Lobed, North Elmham, 30th June

Leptocerus tineiformis, North Elmham, 30th June

Lagria hirta, North Elmham, 30th June

Other highlights included another Wood Groundling Parachronistis albiceps, hot on the heels of my first here three nights earlier, and another Gold-sheen Clothes Moth Nemapogon ruricolella.

Gold-sheen Cothes Moth Nemapogon ruricolella, North Elmham, 30th June

Other moths were Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Tipped Oak Case-bearer Coleophora flavipennella, Common Yellow Conch Agapeta hamana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, 3 Large Ivy Tortrixes Lozotaenia forsterana, Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, Grey Tortrix Cnephasia stephensiana, 2 Flax Tortrixes Cnephasia asseclana, Yellow Oak Button Aleimma loeflingiana, 3 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 3 Triangle-marked Rollers Ancylis achatana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, 12 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Inlaid Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, 2 Satin Grass-veneers Crambus perlella, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Lesser Pearl Sitochroa verticalis, 3 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 2 Elder Pearls Anania coronata, 2 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Rosy Tabbies Endotricha flammealis, 3 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, 2 White Plumes Pterophorus pentadactyla, Ghost Moth, Small Emerald, 3 Small Blood-veins, Lesser Cream Wave, 3 Small Fan-footed Waves, Dwarf Cream Wave, 7 Single-dotted Waves, 4 Riband Waves, Garden Carpet, 2 Barred Straws, 2 V-Pugs, 2 Double-striped Pugs, 2 Clouded Borders, Early Thorn, 2 Swallow-tailed Moths, 3 Mottled Beauties, Light Emerald, 9 Common Footmen, 11 Buff Ermines, 3 Short-cloaked Moths, 3 Heart and Darts, Large Yellow Underwing, 2 Double Square-spots, Smoky Wainscot, Brown Rustic, Rustic Shoulder-knot, 14 Uncertains, 6 Rustics, 3 Mottled Rustics, 4 Beautiful Hook-tips, 2 Straw Dots, Fan-foot and Small Fan-foot.

Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, North Elmham, 30th June

Mother of Pearl Pluroptya ruralis, North Elmham, 30th June

More Maple Prominents before a lull

Another crop of new-for-the-year on 11th included Gorse Crest Brachmia blandella, Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens, Chequered Straw Evergestis pallidata, Drinker, Peach Blossom and Yellow-tail, but 2 Maple Prominents and a Rough-winged Conch Phtheochroa rugosana were more unexpected than any of those.

Maple Prominent, North Elmham, 11th July

Rough-winged Conch Phtheochroa rugosana, North Elmham, 11th July

Drinker, North Elmham, 11th July

Peach Blossom, North Elmham, 11th July

Gorse Crest Brachmia blandella, North Elmham, 11th July

Chequered Straw Evergestis pallidata, North Elmham, 11th July

Other macros were Buff Arches, Large Emerald, Common Emerald, Small Emerald, 4 Small Fan-footed Waves, 3 Single-dotted Waves, 5 Riband Waves, Yellow Shell, 2 Barred Straws, Clouded Border, Brimstone Moth, 2 Early Thorns, 4 Swallow-tailed Moths, 3 Peppered Moths, 4 Willow Beauties, 4 Mottled Beauties, Clouded Silver, 2 Elephant Hawkmoths, 3 Coxcomb Prominents, 2 Rosy Footmen, 7 Common Footmen, 13 Buff Ermines, Short-cloaked Moth, 3 Flames, Flame Shoulder, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, 2 Double Square-spots, Bright-line Brown-eye, 2 Clays, Poplar Grey, 4 Dark Arches, Marbled Minor, Tawny Marbled Minor, 5 Common Rustics, 11 Uncertains, 3 Rustics, Mottled Rustic, Straw Dot and 6 Fan-foots.

Rustic, North Elmham, 11th July

Other micros were Hawthorn Ermel Paraswammerdamia nebulella, Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, Grey Rush Case-bearer Coleophora glaucicolella, Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, 3 Large Ivy Tortrixes Lozotaenia forsterana, Grey Tortrix Cnephasia stephensiana, 2 Flax Tortrixes Cnephasia asseclana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 5 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Pine Marbles Piniphila bifasciana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, 9 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, Yellow Satin Veneer Crambus perlella, Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, 6 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata and White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla.

The only other invert noted was the bug Stenotus binotatus, again.

The following night a Blackneck was the only moth new for the year here (but always a welcome one to find at home).

Blackneck, North Elmham, 12th July

Other macros were 2 Drinkers, 3 Small Fan-footed Waves, Dwarf Cream Wave, 3 Single-dotted Waves, 10 Riband Waves, Phoenix, 3 Barred Straws, 2 Clouded Borders, Early Thorn, 3 Swallow-tailed Moths, 3 Peppered Moths, Willow Beauty, 2 Mottled Beauties, Engrailed, Poplar Hawkmoth, 2 Buff-tips, 6 Rosy Footmen, 13 Common Footmen, 11 Buff Ermines, 2 Cinnabars, Short-cloaked Moth, 2 Heart and Darts, Flame, Flame Shoulder, Large Yellow Underwing, 2 Double Square-spots, Dot Moth, Bright-line Brown-eye, 3 Clays, 5 Smoky Wainscots, Grey Dagger, Brown Rustic, 5 Dark Arches, Light Arches, 22 Uncertains, 6 Mottled Rustics and Snout.

Relatively few micros: 2 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Common Oak Case-bearer Coleophora lutipennella, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, 2 Large Ivy Tortrixes Lozotaenia forsterana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, 5 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, 2 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 2 Elder Pearls Anania coronata and False Cacao Moth Ephestia unicolorella.

A Waxfly was one of the Conwentzia species but it was a female and apparently these can't be resolved to species level.

Conwentzia sp., North Elmham, 12th July

Caddisflies were Limnephilus auricula and Limnephilus lunatus.

I can't remember when I last didn't get any new moths for the year - seems like ages ago!  But there weren't any on 13th July, and only 34 species: Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, Buff Arches, Small Fan-footed Wave, Dwarf Cream Wave, Single-dotted Wave, 4 Riband Waves, Clouded Border, Scalloped Oak, Peppered Moth, 3 Willow Beauties, Privet Hawkmoth, Swallow Prominent, Buff-tip, Rosy Footman, 11 Common Footmen, 6 Buff Ermines, Cinnabar, Flame Shoulder, Large Yellow Underwing, Dot Moth, 3 Bright-line Brown-eyes, 8 Clays, 2 Smoky Wainscots, Dark Arches, 2 Common Rustics, 17 Uncertains, Rustic, 3 Burnished Brasses and Snout.

Scalloped Oak, North Elmham, 13th July

A Limnephilus auricula was the only caddisfly noted.